


Tomorrow is fresh (with no mistakes in it)

by unfriendlyblackhottie



Series: Black Girls Rock: Marvel Cinematic Universe [1]
Category: Captain America (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Black Character(s), Black Female Character, F/M, Trans Character, Trans Female Character
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-09-01
Updated: 2014-09-01
Packaged: 2018-02-15 15:58:41
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,270
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2234898
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/unfriendlyblackhottie/pseuds/unfriendlyblackhottie
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>There are things about the future that Steve is thankful for. Number one being Haven Mendoza.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Tomorrow is fresh (with no mistakes in it)

**Author's Note:**

> Part of an ongoing series to add Black Women to the MCU. Takes place after the Avengers but before the Winter Soldier. Though Sam Wilson makes an appearance because I LOVE SAM! 
> 
> If you want to understand the movie references you can watch this video but it's not needed to read the fic: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nvF0s5YC4_k

“So who or what are you hiding from?” Steve looks up to see a woman standing in front of him. He’s at a party he was roped into and is currently hiding out on the balcony, undoing his bowtie. The party is full of political figures and world leaders with a few high ranking SHIELD agents.

“No one. Just not much of a party person.” The woman comes and stands next to him leaning over the railing.

“I can get that. I hate getting forced into these things too. I don’t know anyone here and it is killing me.”

Steve smiles at her and offers his hand. “I’m Steve Rogers.” She shakes his hand. “Now you know someone. So why are you getting forced into these things?”

“Haven Mendoza. I speak fifty languages. SHIELD kinda likes to show me off.”

“Can’t say I blame them.” Steve says.

Haven pushes a stray hair away from her face and laughs. “I gotta say I’m surprised to find you out here and not inside mingling. I thought everyone would be crawling all over themselves to meet you.”

Steve shrugs with a bit of a smirk. “I guess the novelty has worn off.”

Haven laughs. “Yeah because everyone meets American war heroes on the daily.” She looks Steve up and down and gives a small smirk. “You know Steve if you're nice to me I might just show you my sure fire way to sneak out of a party unnoticed."

Steve smiles at her. “Well in that case what are you drinking.”

Haven chuckles and says “Whiskey neat.” Steve leaves her on the balcony and returns with her drink and one for himself.

“So fifty languages?” Steve asks.

“Yep. I’m learning my fifty-first now. I like languages. It’s kinda my thing. What’s your thing?”

Steve shrugs. “Being Captain America I suppose.”

Haven frowns. “Nope. Rejected. Pick another thing. Your job can’t be your thing. Your thing is the thing you do because it’s fun and it makes you happy. What makes you happy?”

Steve chuckles. “A while ago my friend Sam asked me the same thing. Still don’t really know.”

Haven looks at him with an expression he can’t quite read. “Well you’re young.” She says. “You’ve got time to figure it out. In the meantime one thing I know that’ll make you happy is leaving this party. So go to the bar and get me a glass of red wine.”

Steve goes to the bar and orders her wine and while he waits for it a guy approach him. “Hey Cap you know she’s packing right?” They guy says gesturing in the direction where Haven is waiting on the balcony.

Steve is confused. He obviously already knew she had a knife strapped to one thigh and a gun strapped to the other. They weren’t very hard to make out in the outline of her tight, champagne-colored dress.

“Yeah Cap. It’s got a dick under that pretty little dress. Damn shame.” He says. He looks over in Haven’s direction. “You must miss the good ol’ days. Back when you could trust that women were women.”

Steve grinds his teeth so hard he feels a twinge of pain in his jaw and offers his hand to the guy. He takes it, but instead of shaking it Steve squeezes so hard he can feel the bones shift. The guy tries to pull back but Steve only grips tighter.

“You know you should really watch how you talk about ladies.” He tightens his grip and watches the guys eyes go misty and the guy shuts them in an effort not to let the tears fall. “Their friends might not like it very much.” Steve is interrupted by the bartender setting down the glass of wine. He picks up the glass of wine and drops ten dollars in the tip jar before walking away.

Haven has removed the bobby pins from her hair and let her updo fall and tumble down her back. Steve offers her the glass of wine and she says “Oh the wine isn’t for me to drink. You’re going to spill it on me.”

Steve’s eyes go wide. “But that would ruin your dress.”

Haven tips her head back and laughs. “Yeah. It will. But SHIELD paid for the damn thing so I don’t mind. Go ahead and spill it on me.”

Steve hesitates but eventually tips the glass forward and lets it spill on her dress. She gives a mockingly shocked face and says “Well look at that. Looks like we have to go and clean this off.” She takes Steve’s hand and leads him through the party towards the kitchen. At one point someone tries to stop Steve and talk but she stops them with a ‘Stupid me managed to spill wine all over my dress. We’re gonna go and try to blot this before it sets. He’ll be back in a moment’ and drags Steve away.

“You are brilliant.” Steve tells her as they sneak into the kitchen.

“Yeah, I know.” She says. She reaches in her purse and slips twenty dollars to a waiter who sneaks them out the back door.

Once they’re outside in the chill of the late autumn air, Haven gives a dramatic flip of her dress tail and an exaggerated bow. “And there you have it. The key trick to sneaking out of all your boring but mandated parties. Just as long as you don't mind ruining whatever you're wearing.”

A gust of wind blows past them and Steve instinctively takes off his suit jacket and drapes it around her shoulders.

Haven groans. “God I should have known you’d be a gentleman. Come on. I live a few blocks away. I’ll make you a cup of coffee.”

xXx

Haven lives on the top floor of a very nice building. Before they go up to her place she stops to have a chat with the man at the buildings front desk.

“Hello Ms. Mendoza. Can I assume from the wine stain you had a fun night?”

Haven snorts. “Don’t joke, Edward. I know it’s kinda late but I wanted to ask how Justine’s first date went.”

Edward groans. “Apparently it was amazing and she’s in love with this boy and they’re going to get married.”

Haven laughs. “God, that takes me back to being fifteen. Well, just make sure I get a wedding invitation.”

She and Steve take the elevator up to her floor. Her front door opens into a walkway that leads to the living room. She tosses Steve’s jacket onto her plush gray couch and leads him into the kitchen. She tells him to take a seat on one of the barstools at the counter. She turns the coffee maker on and excuses herself to her room to change clothes. She returns barefoot in black sweatpants and a white tanktop.

“So I take my coffee black but I have sugar and all sorts of creamer so whaddya like Steve?” She asks as she pours coffee into two mugs.

“Two spoonfuls of sugar please.” Haven puts the sugar in Steve’s coffee and hands the mug to him. She pours the rest of the coffee in the pot into a paper cup and tells Steve to sit tight while she runs the coffee down to Edward.

Steve sips at his coffee until his eyes catch a row of pictures on her mantle. He sits his coffee on the bar counter and goes to look at the pictures. One in particular catches his eye. It’s an older picture with a woman holding and kissing the cheek of a boy who is missing both front teeth smiling wide and bright at the camera.

Haven comes back and Steve gestures at the picture. “Who’s this?”

“My mom and me when I was a kid.” Steve looks at her and back at the picture and back at her. He doesn’t miss how she goes tense and her hand goes behind her back, most likely reaching for a weapon.

“You look like your mom.” Steve says with a smile. She really does. She has the same big, dark brown eyes and long curly black hair. They even have the same smile.

Haven cracks the barest of what could be considered a smile. “Yeah I know. Everyone tells me so." She goes back to the kitchen for her cup of coffee and brings Steve his mug too.

They sit on her couch and sip at their coffee as they talk. They start off talking about Haven's job a SHIELD. Haven and her two brothers apparently makeup one of SHIELD's most successful assassin teams. They eventually branch off and jump from topic to topic. They talk about movies and Haven suggest three movies that she feels Steve just has to see, while Steve tells her about a few 'classics' he's watched that were honestly quite boring. Steve asks her about the piano in her living room and she plays a bit for him. He sits beside her on the tiny piano bench and watches her fingers glide across the keyboard. They continue to talk as she plays but their voices drop into hushed tones. They don't realize how long they talk until Haven's phone begins to beep.

"Holy shit." She says and immediately clamps a hand over her mouth. "Sorry. I bet back in your day women didn't have such potty mouths."

Steve laughs. "You'd be surprised. Cursing has never been gender exclusive. What's going on?" He asks gesturing to her phone.

"Time for me to go to work." Steve checks his watch and sure enough it's six in the morning. Haven gets off the couch and opens her curtains and sunlight streams into the room. "I'm gonna grab my work clothes and then I can drop you back at your place on my way."

xXx

Steve gets sent out on a mission later that day. As he suits up his phone buzzes with a text message. _If I'd known you were getting sent out today I wouldn't have kept you out all night. Sorry._ Steve types back a reply. Don't apologize. I liked talking to you. Lunch when I get back? Steve's not quite sure on the etiquette of asking someone out via text message but the message is sent before he can overthink it. Hell, Haven might not even consider it a date. She replies Sure with a smiley face emoji.

"Wanna see a movie after this?" Natasha asks, tugging on a parachute.

"Can't." Steve says. "Got a date." Natasha's face is a mixed of shocked and impressed but before she can ask anything Steve jumps out of the jet.

xXx

They have lunch when Steve gets back. Haven picks the place. A week later they have dinner. Steve picks the place. A few days after that they have brunch. Haven cooks. Sometimes they stay in and watch movies. Haven takes a sinful amount of glee in showing Steve movies well known for their plot twists.

"I cannot believe it. He was dead the whole time. You are evil." Steve is very much not over The Sixth Sense, even after Haven offered to take him out for ice cream.

"Welcome to 1999. Just wait until I show you Fight Club."

"I don't know if I trust you enough to show me more movies. I'm starting to think you just like my face when I'm surprised."

Haven laughs. "Totally false. I like your face all the time. Just a little bit more when you're surprised."

"So you like my face?" Steve teases with a grin.

"Nope. Not even a little bit. It's an awful face. Truly the worst." Steve pinches Haven's side which he has learned is a secret tickle spot. She lets out a bark of laughter and scurries away from him. Steve is fast though and pulls her closer.

"You are evil. Truly truly evil." She's pressed right against Steve's body and it's almost no effort at all for her to step up onto her tiptoes and for Steve to lean his head down and for them to kiss. Right on the street of DC outside a ColdStone creamery.

When they pull away Steve is blushing and Haven looks a little dazed herself.

"Ok I take it back. I really like your face. Particularly when pressed against mine. We should do more of that. A lot more of that." Steve kisses her again.

"Yeah that's pretty great." Steve agrees.

"So this is a thing? You and me. We're doing the whole dating thing?"

"I thought we already were. I thought that's what all this was." Steve admits.

"Oh thank god." Haven says. "I thought so too but I didn't want to assume. But yeah. We're dating."

xXx

Steve and Haven take to the dating thing easily. They continue going on dates and Steve spends more time at Haven's place than he does at his own. They text constantly and their messages contain more emojis than actual words.

Steve introduces Haven to Sam and the two get along like a house on fire. They even start having their morning runs together. Sam very gently tells Steve he has been replaced and Haven is now his best friend. Steve laughs and tells Sam he is not allowed to steal Steve's girlfriend.

Haven meets Natasha when Natasha shows up in her office one morning. She tells Steve about the encounter later that night.

"I swear I thought she was going to make me pay a dowry for you. Twenty sheep if I wanted to keep seeing you."

"Whoa wait." Steve interrupts. "I am well worth at least thirty sheep."

"Maybe twenty-five." Haven bargains. "Your friend really cares about you. She just wants to know someone is taking care of you

"So when do I get to meet your friends?" Steve asks.

"The minute you meet them you'll regret asking that. You'll meet them soon enough. But truth be told it's my brothers you have to worry about. They are super protective.”

“Aren’t all big brothers?” Steve asks. Haven bites his arm. He bites her shoulder in retaliation.

"Normal big brothers are protective. Mine take it to the extreme. If you promise not to give the signature Steve Rogers sad eyes I'll tell you something from when I was young."

"I'm sure I don't have signature sad eyes but I promise." Steve promises but he also tightens his arms around her.

"When I was a freshman in high school a boy punched me and called me a tranny. I punched him back of course, broke his nose even, but my brothers got involved anyway. They went down to the local hardware store, stole a bunch of padlocks, put them into socks and beat the boy with the padlocks. They got suspended from school of course and the funny thing is that when they got home mom didn't even punish them. She just made them go back and pay for the locks." Haven sits up and looks Steve in the eye. "My brothers are very protective because they're scared someone is going to hurt me. Because girls like me get hurt very often. So when I say my brothers are protective I mean violently protective. I swear I'm not trying to scare you away or anything. I just thought you should be aware of what you're getting into."

“Well now I’m really looking forward to meeting them.”

“Don’t worry. Once they get past the promises of death they’re really good guys. You’ll like them once they’re done threatening your life.”

xXx

Steve meets Haven's brothers in a weapons vault at SHIELD headquarters. Andrew, Haven's oldest brother is carefully sharpening knives while Jeremiah, the middle child, is staring down the scope of sniper rifle, judging its sighting.

"Steve!" Andrew says with a smile, setting down his knives and shaking Steve's hand. "It's very nice to meet you."

"Truly an honor." Jeremiah says, looking up from the rifle.

"It's nice to meet you too." Steve says. Steve isn't sure how to take them. They seem nice enough but Haven's story is still fresh in his mind. He's no stranger to shovel talk, has heard people give the speech enough times but this'll be his first time on the receiving end and he's not sure how to take it.

"So we talked to our sister, Haven, and she told us you two are currently in a romantic relationship. Care to confirm, Steve?" Andrew asks.

"Haven and I are dating yes. We've been officially together about six weeks now."

"You know Haven's our sister. Our only sister." Andrew says.

"Our baby sister." Jeremiah adds.

"Our baby sister. We taught her how to ride a bike, helped her learn to read and taught her how to throw a ball. She is very very important to us. You understand this, right?"

"I understand." Steve says honestly.

"Good," Andrew says, "Now Haven is a grown woman. She is allowed to date who she likes and we would never even think of interfering with her life or trying to make her decisions for her. But also understand we would do anything to protect her. We would kill or die for her."

"Kill or die. So understand Captain Rogers," Jeremiah continues, "that if you are dating our sister as a ploy of some kind, or as a way to prove how 'progressive' you are, whether to yourself or someone else then it is best you end this relationship now."

"Because I promise you that your pretty little shield can't do much to protect you when my brother is perched forty stories above you with his crosshairs centered on your temple." Steve opens his mouth to say something, to assure them that his feelings for Haven are genuine and that he would never intentionally hurt her but Andrew stops him. "No no. Don't say anything. Just think about what we said. Think about it and make sure that if you continue dating our sister it’s for the right reasons.”

“Because Steve we want to like you. You seem like a nice guy. You’ve got a good head on your shoulders. We dont want to have to splatter it all over First Avenue.”

xXx

“So I met your brothers.” Steve tells Haven later that night while Haven cooks. Haven likes to cook. It relaxes her. She’s good at it too. She credits it to years of sitting on kitchen counters watching her mother prepare dinner.

Haven winces at Steve’s news and gives a sympathetic look. “How bad was it? Did they manage to scare you away? Are you thinking of a way to let me down easy that doesn’t end with you being shot?” Steve kisses her. Haven melts into it, arms going around Steve’s neck and her hands in his hair. After a few moments she pulls away. “Just so you know I put only about half the effort into breakup sex as I do regular sex. I mean it’ll still be good but not great. I won’t even order a pizza with you afterwards.”

“I’m not breaking up with you Haven. I really like you. A lot. Talking to your brothers actually made me think about how much I like you. I don’t feel out of place when I’m with you. It’s easy to talk to you and you don’t make me feel weird or stupid for not knowing things.” Steve says.

“I like you too Steve. You’re fun to be around and you’re really funny. Plus making you feel bad for not knowing things isn’t nearly as fun as showing you things. I mean your face when I made you watch Soylent Green is still the funniest thing I have ever seen.”

Steve groans. “Soylent Green is people and you are a monster.”

“Just for that we’re watching Se7en next.”

“Already watched it with Sam.” Steve says. “I know what’s in the box.”

Haven laughs. “I knew I liked Sam for a reason. I’ll just make you watch Primal Fear.”

xXx

Steve meets Haven’s best friend a week later. Her name is Samira and she’s a petite black woman with blue hair and multiple piercings. She stares Steve up and down with a quizzical look on her face. She continues to stare and says with extreme confidence, “You’re someone.”

Steve resists the urge to laugh and goes “What are you talking about?”

“You’re someone. I know it.” Samira turns to Haven and asks “Who is he?”

Haven shrugs and very carefully keeps a straight face. “I don’t know what you’re talking about. He’s just a normal guy.”

“Yeah. I’m just me. You might be crazy.”

“Yeah. Totally crazy.” Haven agrees.

“Am not!” Samira says. “You’re someone. I’m gonna figure it out. Because you’re definitely someone.”

“She’s never going to figure it out.” Haven tells Steve later that night.

xXx

Steve is the first to say I love you. It happens months later with Steve sitting on Haven's couch sketching while Haven reads a book. Steve has unofficially moved into Haven's apartment. Most of his clothes are there, his shield rests in her bedroom by the nightstand she keeps her gun in. He sleeps there practically every night, even when she's away on missions. They do the shopping together and have their morning routines down pact as to not get in each other's way.

Haven's feet rest in Steve's lap while she reads. It's a Sunday and they don't have anywhere to be so they sit and enjoy the downtime. Steve is drawing Haven. It's a quick rough sketch but it's definitely her. He looks up from the drawing and stares at her. She notices and peeks over her book.

"You're staring." She says.

"I love you." He says.

Haven's eyes go wide and she lowers her book completely. She tosses it onto the coffee table and crawls into Steve's lap. She kisses him, hard. She pulls away just barely and whispers, "Thank you."

xXx

Haven says I love you a week later. She's sitting at the vanity in her room straightening her hair while Steve lays in bed reading a book on his iPad. She looks at him through the mirror and smiles. She turns around and says his name to get his attention. Steve looks up at her.

"I love you." She says.

Steve smiles and says, "I love you too." and Haven can't resist going over to the bed and kissing him. Steve pulls her down into the bed and when they're done Haven has to redo her hair.

xXx

Steve walks into Haven’s apartment one day after a run to find Haven pretending to be Captain America. She’s holding the shield and blocking imaginary bullets. She does her own sound effects and poses in a very dramatic and patriotic fashion. When she notices Steve out of the corner of her eye she startles and drops the shield.

“Whatcha doing, Haven?” Steve asks, trying desperately not to laugh.

“I was protecting America from nazi dinosaurs.” Haven admits. Steve can’t hold it and doubles over in laughter. Haven pouts in a way that shows she is obviously trying to hide a smile. “Yeah. It’s so funny. Keep laughing and you’ll find yourself single.” She huffs and turns away from Steve so she can giggle to herself.

“No. Don’t go. If you leave who’ll protect me from the nazi dinosaurs.”

xXx

Steve talks to Peggy about Haven. He talks about how they met and started dating. Peggy laughs when Steve tells her about the nazi dinosaurs. She goes quiet when Steve says he loves her. She places her hand over Steve’s and says “I’m glad you’ve found someone. You deserve to have someone you love and who loves you. Someone who makes you happy.”

“You made me happy.” Steve says. “You still do. No matter who I’m with you know you’ll always be my best girl.”

xXx

Aside from Natasha, none of the other Avengers know about Haven. Steve isn't keeping her a secret, he just doesn't regularly talk to any of the other Avengers. Steve has a feeling that aside from Natasha none of them are interested in his life outside of him being Captain America.

Tony learns about Haven after a meeting he, Steve, Natasha and Clint have with Fury. They’re all in an elevator when Steve gets a text message. It’s from Haven. It’s a picture of her in a store wearing a white bikini. The message underneath says _i’m on the fence. yay or nay._ Steve sends her the emoji with the heart eyes.

“Who are you texting? How do you even know how to text?” Tony asks.

“Are you texting Haven?” Clint sing-songs.

Steve looks up at him. “How do you know about Haven?”

“Who’s Haven?” Tony asks with an excited glimmer in his eyes.

Clint shrugs. “Natasha told me.”

Steve looks at Natasha who shrugs also. “I didn’t realize she was a secret.”

“She’s not. I just didn’t realize you were gossipping about me.”

“Who is Haven!” Tony asks urgently and instead of waiting for an answer he snatches Steve’s phone from his hands. “Wow she’s hot. What she doing with you? She must have a thing for older men. What do you two even talk about?”

Steve takes his phone back. “You, Tony. We talk about you all the time. We were running out of things about you to talk about but luckily we just had this exchange so Haven and I can keep talking about you.”

“Wow.” Tony says astounded. “This Haven is a bad influence on you. She made you all sarcastic and shit.”

“Nope.” Natasha says. “That’s all Steve.”

xXx

Haven and Steve watch The Usual Suspects and Haven takes a picture of herself laughing at Steve’s face at the end. His face is equal parts confusion and shock. Haven loves the picture and asks Steve if he minds if she uploads it to her instagram account. Steve tells her to go ahead and she does, captioning the picture torturing the bf with old movies #theusualsuspects #whoisKeyserSöze. Haven has only a few thousand followers but in a matter of hours the picture goes viral. Neither Haven nor Steve are aware though, as they are too busy having _wow that was a great movie sex_ to notice every major news outlet covering the story of **Captain America’s New Girlfriend?** Haven at one point even turns her phone off to silent the incessant ringing. Because sex with Steve is much more important than answering phone calls on her day off. They are in the middle of post-coital cuddling when someone begins banging on Haven's front door. Haven puts on her robe and grabs her gun from the nightstand and goes to the door. She looks through the peephole and sighs. She opens the door to a set of very irritated older brothers.

"We've been calling you Haven." Andrew scolds as he and Jeremiah force their way into the apartment.

"And I've been busy." Haven retorts. Steve comes out of the bedroom, having put on a pair of boxers, and stands next to Haven.

"I assume by the pleased looks on your faces that you two don't know." Jeremiah says. He grabs Haven's iPad from its place on the coffee table and turns it on.

"Know what?" Steve asks. Jeremiah hands Steve the tablet so he and Haven can read the bold headline reading **Captain America's bombshell girlfriend actually a boy!** Below the headline is the picture of them Haven posted to her Instagram account and in the corner of that picture is a picture of Haven as a child, short hair, baggy t-shirt and baseball cap. Haven drops down onto the couch.

"Fuck shit fuck." She says. Steve tosses the tablet back to Jeremiah and sits down next to Haven. He rubs her arms and pulls her to his chest.

"It'll be ok. I promise it'll be ok." Haven puts her face in her hands and continue to murmur various curse words, many not in English.

"Steve can we talk to you for a second?" Andrew asks and Steve kisses Haven's forehead before going to stand by her brothers.

"Steve do you know the statistics for trans women murdered?" Jeremiah asks.

"One in twelve." Steve says like there is glass in his mouth.

"Do you know the rate for black trans women murdered?" Andrew asks.

"One in eight." Steve says just as bitterly.

"Right, someone's been reading. Haven just became the most visible black trans women in America. Until we as a group can run damage control Haven is not to go out without one of us with her. She'll fight us on it of course but she can be as bitter as she likes as long as she's alive."

The front door opens and Samira comes rushing in. She sees Haven on the couch and her face falls.

“We should also start locking Haven’s door.” Andrew mutters.

“Won’t matter. I have a key.” She says. “Hey I know this sucks but can I be a bad best friend for a minute?” Haven waves her hand in a go on gesture and Samira jumps up and down. “I knew it! I knew it! I knew he was someone. You told me I was crazy but I knew I wasn’t and he is someone. He is freaking Captain America. My best friend is fucking Captain America and trust me when this is all over we’re going to talk about this is great detail.” Samira stops jumping and sits next to Haven and wraps her arms around her. “Back to being a good best friend now. If it makes you feel any better your hair looked amazing in that picture. Those beach waves really suit you.”

“Really?” Haven asks running a hand through her hair.

“Hell yeah. And let’s be real all this is going to die down soon. Before you know it some random celebrity is going to get pregnant or married or something and this’ll be water under the bridge. And on the bright side shitty conservatives will now stop using Captain America as their poster boy for good old fashioned bigotry.” Haven laughs and Samira smiles. She stands up and holds her hand out to Haven. “Come on. Me and you are going out for a drink.”

“I don’t that’s a good idea at the moment. Haven should lay low for a bit.” Andrew says.

Samira sighs and looks at Andrew. “Andrew can I ask you a question. Do you ever get tired of being a buzzkill?"

Andrew crosses his arms defensively. "No Samira, I don't get tired of keeping my sister alive."

"A couple jaegerbombs won't kill her." Samira promises.

"Guys, stop arguing." Haven says. "I'm not really up for drinks anyway. Maybe tomorrow. Can Steve and I be alone?"

Samira nods and kisses Haven's cheek. "I'll text you later."

Andrew and Jeremiah both hug their sister and promise to come back tomorrow. As Jeremiah walks past Steve he claps Steve on the shoulder and says, "If you let anything happen to her I will crazy murder you."

They all leave and Haven collapses onto the couch. Steve sits next to her and wraps his arms around her. She leans into him and sighs. She picks up her phone and looks at the picture. "My hair does look great here." Steve takes the phone and sets it aside. Haven wraps her arms around Steve and buries her face in his chest to avoid having to look at him. "If you want to tell everyone we're not dating that'd be ok."

Steve looks down at the top of her head. "What?"

"You have a public image to think about. People expect you to be with the blonde-haired, blue-eyed girl next door and I'm a black transgender woman. If you want to tell them we're just friends and not dating I wouldn't be mad at you."

"Haven," Steve says, gently pushing her away so she can't hide in his chest anymore. She keeps her eyes on her lap and Steve has to cup her face in his hands to get her to look him in the eye. "Haven I am proud to be your boyfriend. Being with you is an honor. I don't mind people knowing, hell I'm glad people know. You're amazing and I'm glad people know I'm with a girl as great as you." There are tears streaming from Haven's eyes but she's smiling. Steve uses his thumbs to wipe the tears from her cheeks. "Can I tell you something?" Steve asks and Haven nods. "I don't really care about being Captain America. I like helping people and all but I don't really care about being an icon or whatever. It's why I liked you some much when we first met. You never called me Captain America or anything and I could tell you didn't really care about that."

Haven laughs. It's a bit choked but it's definitely a laugh. "Wow. All it took to get you to fall in love with was for me to call you Steve. You're pretty easy, Mr. Rogers.”

xXx

Haven walks into SHIELD headquarters the next day, exhausted and agitated. Her brothers are waiting for her at the entrance. Andrew hands her a cup of coffee and Jeremiah hands her a folder. The get on an elevator to make their way up to Haven’s office.

“You ok?” Andrew asks.

“There were paparazzi camped outside my building this morning and Edward had to sneak me out the back door. I only had two hours of sleep and I feel like everyone is staring at me but yeah I’m great.”

“Are you and Steve ok?” Jeremiah asks.

“We’re good. We talked and we’re ok.”

“Good.” Andrew says. “Jeremiah and I have been handling the situation. We’ve been screening your incoming calls and emails and we think we’ve figured this thing out.”

“You’ve been screening my calls and emails?” Haven doesn’t have the energy to be properly pissed off.

“Yes we have. Try and keep up.” Jeremiah says. “Just about everyone wants to interview you and Steve. We’ve made a list of acceptable interviewers for you and Steve to choose from, we rejected anyone with a history of transphobic commentary, but you’ll find all of that in the folder.”

“Also in the folder you’ll find sample questions and answers. It’s best you and Steve go over them together. In the folder you’ll also find sample outfits and hairstyles we think would look good on you for your tv appearance.” Andrew says.

Haven stops outside of her office and turns to her brothers. “Thank you. For the coffee. For handling this. For everything. I will read the folder and go over it with Steve. But now I have work to do and I am reasonably sure you do too. I will call both of you later.”

Both Andrew and Jeremiah open their mouths to say something but Haven shushes them both. She leans forward and her brothers take the cue, Andrew kisses her left cheek while Jeremiah kisses the right. Haven goes into her office, flops down into her chair and resists the urge to nap under her desk.

She somehow manages to make it until lunch when she goes down to the cafeteria to get an apple and a bottle of water. She can feel people staring at her but she is too tired to care. Steve meets her down in the cafeteria to check on her.

“So is everyone staring at you too?” He asks.

“Yes. But at least you don’t have two assassins following you around driving you crazy. I promise you I love my brothers and I know they mean well but I swear I would sell them on craigslist if I though anyone wanted to buy them.”

“You don’t mean that.” Steve says as he leans forward and pecks her lips then grabs her wrist to take a bite from her apple.

“Hey!” Haven exclaims. “You just ate like half my lunch.”

“Eat a bigger lunch.” Steve tells her after giving her a sloppy wet kiss on the cheek.

xXx

Steve and Haven do an official interview as a couple. Their interviewer is polite, respectful and uses proper terminology which Haven suspects is due to her brothers having had a strong talk with the interviewer and producers.

The interview is watched live by millions and watched by more once it's on the internet. Just about everyone has an opinion about Steve and Haven's relationship and none are shy about expressing it. The commentary though runs deeper than simple transphobia. The racist remarks flow just as easily and Haven has to set the parental controls on the tv to keep Steve from torturing himself by watching Fox News.

It all feels worth it though one day when Steve and Haven are out shopping for a new couch and a small child walks up to them with big hopeful eyes. It’s not rare for for kids to spot Steve but this child brushes right past Steve and looks directly at Haven.

“Hi. Excuse me. I’m Maddie and I’m six and I love you.” Haven has to put her hand over her mouth to keep from crying. Luckily Maddie’s mom comes up behind Maddie and picks her up.

“Hi. Sorry about this. I can see you guys are obviously busy but Maddie just really wanted to say hi. She’s transgender and adores you. She has a picture of you on her wall and everything. You’re her hero.”

Maddie leans over and kisses Haven on the cheek and Haven does cry.


End file.
